Can your phone battery last until the end of the day? If not, we have a solution for you – external batteries. This article is about 15 best power banks that are currently popular on the market in 2018. We will introduce you to this interesting device, to its main characteristics, main advantages and disadvantages, but we will also show you how they work and what are the basic steps you should follow if you want to make the most convenient and cost-effective purchase.

What are Power Banks and What Do We Use Them For?

Power bank is relatively small and usually highly portable device that is used to recharge the battery of some other device (usually phone battery) on the go. They are also called chargers or external batteries and one of their most important features is their size. Power banks tend to be as small and as powerful as possible. That way, you can wear them in your bag or even pocket and use anytime you need them, no matter where you are.

Those devices are very useful for any of us, especially for business people who use their phones every day for many hours. Modern phones usually have powerful batteries, but they also have large screens and many apps that “eat” the battery very fast, no matter how many mAh it has. Besides that, no battery can really survive the whole day if you spend the whole day typing messages and making calls. That’s why we use power banks. They can recharge phone battery very fast whenever we don’t have wall socket nearby.

They can be divided into three basic groups by the power (number of mAh) and size. The first group relates to the smallest power banks (they aren’t usually bigger than an average lipstick), their capacity isn’t usually larger than 5000 mAh and they can charge your phone only once. These are the cheapest power banks on the market. The second mid-priced group relates to stronger devices with 5000-10000 mAh capacity and they can charge your phone at least twice. The third group relates to more expensive products with more than 10000 mAh. They are the most expensive but they can charge your phone battery multiple times.

We have chosen 15 products with different battery capacities, but they all have quite affordable prices, which proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy a decent product.

The Most Important Power Bank Features

Capacity

Power bank capacity is measured in mAh, just like the capacity of your phone battery, because power bank is, in fact, one case with the battery inside. The battery is used for storing electrical energy and recharging other, less powerful batteries on different devices such as phones, tablets, players, etc.

Capacity affects the size of the power bank because batteries with bigger capacity require bigger cases, which are also heavier and less portable. External battery capacity also affects the number of times you can use it to recharge your device, but that also depends on the device itself. For example, if you have a phone with 2000 mAh battery, it means that a bank with 3000 mAh can charge it only once, but the bank with 5000 or 6000 mAh can charge it twice.

Adequate input/output ports

Most of the power banks have at least two ports – one input port that is used for recharging the bank itself and the output port used for connecting to other devices that should be charged. Modern power banks have more than one output port and there are often not only USB (mini, micro) ports, but also Lightning or USB-C ports. USB-C and Lightning ports enable faster charging, but your choice will depend only on the type of device you have and on the type of port on that device. The best option would be to have all those ports, but it is quite rare. USB-A ports are commonly used as output ports, while micro USB ports play the role of input ports.

Besides that, pay attention to the cables that come with certain power bank. It is very important that the connector on the other side of the cable can be inserted into your phone or any other device you want to charge. For example, if you have a cable with USB-C connector and your device doesn’t support it, there’s no way to charge a phone with micro USB input port.

Optional Power Bank Features

Fast / Smart charging

There is an easy way to find out if you will be able to charge your device fast or not. The charging speed depends on wattage (W) that is defined by multiplying voltage (V – potential energy) and amperage (A – the amount of energy that goes from power bank to your device). Fact charging relates to wattage higher than 10 (5V/2.1A). Anything below that is standard charging speed. However, the speed also depends on your device specs. If it supports only 5V/1A, don’t count on fast charging as the device receives the amount of power it was designed for.

Many power bank manufacturers have their own technologies for fast and smart charging and they all have different names. Here are some names so you can recognize them when you see them in power bank specs: PowerIQ, AiPower, VoltiQ, iSmart, etc. The point is that the power bank detects the type of device it is charging (for example, if it is phone or tablet). Tablets and iPads usually can receive more power and power bank supplies them with the maximum power they can receive. That way, they increase charging speed.

Pass through

This feature is not obligatory or common, but it is still very useful. It comes in handy when both your device and power bank batteries are low. In that situation, if your power bank supports this feature, you will be able to connect the bank to the wall socket and the device to the bank, so that they can charge at the same time.

These are our reviews of 15 best power banks in 2018.

Anker PowerCore+ mini 3350mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger

Anker PowerCore+ Mini is one of the smallest (3.5×0.9×0.9 in) and cheapest power banks on the market that does its job very well. It does nothing special really, but it is great as a backup battery. PowerCore+ Mini weighs only 2.8 ounces, it has 3350 mAh capacity, one 1A input, and one 5V/1A output port. It also uses PowerIQ charging technology that detects maximum current flow that your device can receive.

Pros

PowerCore+ Mini is extremely small and lightweight external battery that can be thrown in a pocket or bag and used in case of emergency at any place and any time. Its dimensions let you forget about it when you don’t have to use it. Besides that, this power bank is surprisingly well built (it has metal housing).

As far as design is concerned, the product is available in many colors (black, pink, silver, golden, blue) with shiny matte finish. It looks compact and elegant. Next to the ports, you will see small button that is used to start charging as well as LED indicator showing when the bank is fully charged.

Cons

This charger is not made to be severely used, as it has some problems with USB ports that sometimes fall apart.

It also doesn’t support fast charging. You can be sure that it can’t charge anything but phone, but depending on the type of the phone, you might even not get one full charge. For example, if you have iPhone 5 – iPhone 7, you can get even more than one full charge. It can also charge some lees needy Android phones, but if you have newer models of Samsung Galaxy, don’t buy this bank.

One more thing – Lightning cable is not included in the package, so you can use your own or buy one separately.

RAVPower RP-PB19 16750mAh External Battery

RAVPower is very powerful external battery that can be used for charging not only phones but also tablets, but its capacity (16750 mAh) makes it a bit bulky. Its dimensions are 5.0×3.2×0.86 inches and it weighs 10.9 ounces. RP-PB19 has one 2A input port and 2 output ports (5V/2.4A and 5V/2.1A). It also uses iSmart+ 2.0 charging technology and special protection from overheating, over current and short circuits.

Pros

RP-PB19 is nicely designed charger available in black and white colors. They have nice matte finish and look quite smooth. They come in a nice package with two USB to micro USB charging cables, 18-month warranty card, user manual and one nice carrying pouch.

This power bank has great capacity and it has one micro USB input port as well as two USB-A output ports with total current output of 4.5A. Both of the ports support fast charging but don’t count on that if your device doesn’t support current input of 2.1A or 2.4A. RP-PB19 also uses iSmart+ 2.0 charging technology, which means the power bank recognizes the maximum power that your device can receive and supplies it with that exact amount.

This device can charge many different phones several times, while tablets can be recharged probably only once. It also has flashlight that turns on any time you press and hold the round button on the front side of the bank above the status indicator light. That indicator turns on any time you shortly press the previously mentioned button. It is divided into 4 parts, each of them representing 25% of battery capacity. If you have all 4 of them showing blue light, it means your bank is fully charged.

Cons

As all banks with high capacity, RP-PB19 is a bit bulky, but not nearly as some others. It is great that you can charge two devices at once, but be aware that by doing that you make the bank practically not portable.

Also, if you don’t have wall charger with 5V/2A output, be prepared to spend long hours waiting for the bank to be recharged.

Anker 20100mAh Portable Charger PowerCore

Anker AK-A12 is elegant charger with supreme capacity of 20100 mAh. It is quite compact (6.5×2.3×0.9 inches) and it weighs 12.5 ounces. It is available in black and white colors with matte finish, it has one 2A input port and 2 output ports (4.8A max for both ports). AK-A12 uses PowerIQ charging technology, common for Anker external batteries.

Pros

AK-A12 has very simple and attractive design. The case is made from polycarbonate plastic that is fingerprints and fire resistant. On the front side, you will see only Anker logo and 4 LED indicators that show you how much battery you have at your disposal. You just have to press the oval button on the side and see if your power bank needs recharging or not.

It is smaller than other power banks of this capacity and it also comes with nice padded carrying pouch, suitable for traveling. The charger also comes with USB to micro USB charging cable which supports fast charging and if you have 2A wall charger, you will recharge your power bank in about 10h. Otherwise, it will take much longer.

The charger has two USB output ports that support fast and smart charging, but be aware that you can’t get the necessary speed if your device and the cable don’t support the same technology. AK-A12 uses several technologies that protect it from overcharging, overheating, etc. It also has the ability to boost the voltage so that it can increase charging speed of those devices that have old and long cables that are very resistant, waste energy and make charging process much longer.

However, this charger is powerful enough to charge both Apple and Android phones more than 4 times, while it can charge twice iPad Mini and regular iPad only once.

Cons

Although this power bank looks very nice there is one bad thing we have to mention.

What we don’t like is that AK-A12 comes with two output ports and only one USB cable. Lightning cable is not provided at all which means that you have to buy cables separately if you want to utilize the full potential of this power bank.

Jackery External Battery 12000mAh

This Jackery external battery is one of their best. It’s not perfect, of course, but it does its job really well. Its dimensions are 4.3×3.1×0.8 inches, it weighs 10.4 ounces, it has one 5V/1.5A input port and two output ports (5V/1A and 5V/2.1A) while its full capacity is 12000 mAh.

Pros

Jackery 12000 mAh external battery is solidly built device with aluminum case. It has very nice design and it comes in black, orange and gold with nice matte finish. It seems to be very durable and many satisfied customers confirm that. Even if you drop the charger accidentally, it will still work nicely.

The power bank has two output ports and it allows you to charge two different devices at the same time at different speeds. It can charge several times most of Android and Apple phones and at least once most of the iPads.

On the front side, you will see 3 LED status bars that show you how much battery you have left. If you press once the power button on the side, you can check battery status, but if you press it twice, you will activate flashlight.

This external battery seems to be well protected and very safe for usage. It has overheating, overcharging, overvoltage and overcurrent protection, but it is also protected from problems that might cause malfunction wall chargers and short circuit.

Cons

In spite of all the good things, this product has several problems and imperfections that should be fixed.

First of all, it comes with only one cable and Lightning charging cable has to be bought separately.

Second of all, although it is advertised that the battery itself can be recharged in 10h (if charged with 2-amp cable and charger), the power bank has many issues with charging via wall chargers, while the situation gets much better when you connect it to your notebook or computer.

In addition, it seems that the power bank should be lighter considering the capacity.

Last of all, this device has problems with its power button. It turns on too easy and if the flashlight is turned on accidentally, it leads to unexpected battery consumption.

Anker PowerCore 13000mAh Power Bank

Anker PowerCore 13000 mAh is a true champion when it comes to squeezing a lot of power into small body. It has one 2A input port and even two 5V/3A output ports. It is small enough to fit a pocket (3.8×3.1×0.9 inches) but not very light (8.5 ounces). It uses PowerIQ and VoltageBoost charging technologies, which means Anker guarantees you fast charging if you have all the adequate equipment.

Pros

Anker PowerCore 13000 mAh is nicely designed external battery available in black and white colors with nice matte fingerprint-resistant finish. It is quite small for the capacity, but it is very compact and it has all the important features. On the front side, you will see 4 LED indicators. When you press the button on the side, the indicators will turn on and show you how much battery juice is left.

The power bank has two output ports and both of them enable fast charging and delivering optimal amperage that your device can take. That way, PowerCore 13000 mAh protects your devices from overcharging and overheating. Surprisingly, you can count on approximately 10000 mAh output power, which means it can charge almost all phones several times, but tablets and smaller iPads only once.

It comes in a nice packaging with 18-month warranty card, user manual, and one nice little carrying pouch.

Cons

One of the disadvantages of this product is its weight. It is not too heavy, but it certainly could be lighter considering the amperage. Also, you have to provide at least one USB or Lightning charging cable on your own as the manufacturer sends you only one in the package.

When it comes to the cable, they send you 2A cable, but if you don’t have 2A wall charger, you will be disappointed with the charging speed of this power bank. In addition, when you charge two devices at the same time, you can’t get the maximum charging speed for both devices.

EasyAcc 20000mAh Portable Charger

EasyAcc MS20000-BO portable charger is powerful device that you can get at very affordable price. Its full capacity is 20000 mAh, its dimensions are 6.6×3.1×0.8 inches and it weighs approximately 16 ounces. It has 2 input ports (4A max) and even 4 smart output ports (4.8A max).

Pros

This power bank has very attractive and simple design. It is available in all-black, black-red and black-orange versions with matte finish that looks quite smooth. On the side of the bank, you have one button. When pressed once, it activates 4 LED indicators on the front side that show you how much juice you have left. If pressed twice, it will turn the flashlight on.

The charger has two input ports that enable you to cut charging time in half and reduce it to 6-8 hours (in case you have two-port wall charger). The 4 output ports enable smart charging by detecting the optimal power that your device can receive and make charging faster than usual. You can charge 4 devices at the same time at maximum speed without any problems. This makes it very useful for big family trips.

This power bank has ability to charge many smartphones several times (iPhone 7 up to 6 and Samsung Galaxy S8 up to 4 times) and iPad Mini even twice, which is pretty great.

Cons

On the down side, MS20000-BO doesn’t offer all 20000 mAh. You actually get only about 14000 mAh. Wall charger with 2 USB ports is not included in the package, so you have to get it separately because the power bank charges significantly slower without the appropriate wall charger. Also, it has 4 output ports and it comes with only 2 charging cable none of which is Lightning cable. In addition, carrying pouch is not included and the bank itself is a bit heavy.

Lumina A1601 15000mAh Power Bank

Lumina A1601 power bank comes with a full capacity of 15000 mAh, one micro USB 2A input port and two 2.4A USB-A smart output ports. The battery is quite large (6.7×4.1×0.6 inches) and it weighs a whole pound.

Pros

This power bank has very nice and simple design. The all-black style and matte finish make it look rather elegant. It is interesting that the battery doesn’t have any button. It has LED display. All you have to do is to shake the power bank and the battery status will appear on the display.

The battery comes in a nice and stylish box with one very short USB to micro USB charging cable that enables fast charging (it can be fully recharged in about 6-7 hours). Both the power banks and the cable look rather durable and the inside of the battery was made from Aluminum Alloy, although the case is plastic.

It is really great that you can charge two devices simultaneously at maximum allowed speed and it can recharge many smartphones many times (S7 Edge more than 3 times, iPhone 6s more than 4 times) while it can recharge low capacity iPads twice.

Cons

On the other side, the power bank is a bit bulky and heavy. You won’t be able to wear it in your pocket, but it will feel fine in your bag or backpack.

Although the full capacity is 15000 mAh, the power bank loses part of the energy during charging other devices and you will have approximately 12000 mAh at your disposal, depending on the number of output ports used at the same time.

Pay attention to the ports. Use them carefully as they seem poorly built.
Also, if you want to charge your power bank fast, buy 2A wall charger as it is not included in the package, just like Lightning cable or at least another USB charging cable.

RAVPower 22000mAh Portable Charger

This is one of RAWPower best sellers on Amazon. It comes with 22000 mAh full capacity, one 2.4A micro USB input port, three output ports (2.4A max per each of them) and iSmart 2.0 charging technology. Its dimensions are 6.5×0.9×2.7 inches and it weighs approximately 15 ounces.

Pros

The power bank has very simple and attractive design. It comes in black, blue, red, and white with nice matte finish. On the front side, you will see RAWPower logo and 4 LED battery status indicators. When you press the button on the side, you can see how much power you have left and you can start charging your devices.

The product is made from fire-resistant thermoplastic and it seems quite durable. It also has all kinds of protections (from overheating, overcharging, short-circuit, etc.) and it supports iSmart charging technology that optimizes charging time at maximum allowed speed.

RAWPower 22000 mAh has 3 smart output ports and you can use them to charge 3 different devices simultaneously. It can charge S8 more than 3 times and it also supports pass-through technology.

It is great that RAWPower sends you two flat USB charging cables and one carrying pouch.

Cons

The product is really great but we have to notice that the manufacturer could include one more USB or at least Lightning charging cable in the package. It would also be great if they would send 2.4A wall charger because without it, you can’t really take the advantage of fast charging and your device will be fully recharged in 12-14 hours or more instead of advertised 10-11 hours.

We also have to warn you that not all of the output ports can offer the same charging speed if they are used at the same time. The power bank is also quite large and heavy, so don’t count on wearing it in your pocket.

Poweradd 2nd Gen Pilot 2GS 10000mAh Power Bank

Poweradd 2nd Generation 2GS power bank has capacity of 10000 mAh, one micro USB 2A input port and two USB-A output ports (one 2.1A and the other 1.0A). The product is not too bulky (5.4×2.9×0.5 inches) and it weighs only 8.8 ounces.

Pros

Poweradd 2GS is very attractive power bank available in several colors (black, grey, silver, red, rose, and golden) with brushed matte finish. On the bottom, you will find one micro USB input port and two USB 2.0 and 3.0 output ports. There is also power button and 4 LED battery status indicators that will show you if you have to recharge your power bank or not.

The power bank is very durable especially because the casing is made from aluminum. It is resistant to short circuit, overloading and low voltage. It can control temperature and it has output current stabilizer and limiter, which makes your device very safe.

It can charge two devices at once and it can charge many smartphones several times depending on their battery capacity. One of the ports is 3.0 port that supports fast charging, but only if you have 3.0 USB cable and device that supports that charging technology.

In case you buy separately 2A wall charger, you will be able to recharge your Poweradd external battery in approximately 5 hours.

Cons

The bad thing is that the manufacturer doesn’t send one more USB or at least Lightning charging cable. Carrying bag is also not included in the package.

The adequate wall charger also has to be provided separately, so that would be an extra minus for this product.

It is a bit larger and heavier than you would expect from 10000 mAh external battery, but nothing alarming really.

We also have to warn you that some customers had problems with the charger ‘’refusing’’ to work after several months of use, but the good thing is that Poweradd has great customer service that will send you replacement in no time and that you get 2-year warranty, which is really rare today.

Jackery mini Premium 3350mAh Portable Charger

Jackery Mini Premium is one of those backup batteries that you put in your pocket or backpack and don’t think about. It is nothing special really, but it does its job quite well. Its full capacity is 3350 mAh, it is very small (0.9×3.7×0.8 inches) and light (2.7 ounces) and it has one 5V/1.5A micro USB input port and one 5V/1A USB-A output port.

Pros

This external battery has smart design. It is a bit larger than a lipstick but it is not completely rounded so it won’t roll over and fall. It’s highly portable and it is available in several colors (black, orange, gold, pink, and silver). On the front side, there is one power button and LED status indicator.

The battery can charge most of the smartphones once or maybe even twice, depending on the phone battery and it takes approximately 2h to fully recharge, which is actually quite good. What we like the most about this product is that the manufacturer doesn’t give you the wrong information about the capacity. It is advertised that you get 3350 mAh and you really do, so that is one thing that is different in comparison to most of the other brands.

It comes with one USB to micro USB short cable, user manual and 18-month warranty. They also have great customer service that will send you replacement if anything unexpected happens.

Cons

Truth to be told, this product is far from perfect. There are some customers that have been using it for a year or more, but some of them complained about Power bank being unable to work properly after a short period of time. Sometimes, you can just try to press and hold power button and the battery will start charging your device normally, but sometimes that won’t help.

Also, it won’t survive being thrown or dropped. In spite of the aluminum casing, the USB ports are poorly built and it might happen that they fall apart if you drop the power bank accidentally and that would make it unusable.

In addition, no matter what the manufacturer says, this battery doesn’t offer fast charging feature and in spite of different types of protection from overcharging, overheating, etc., be aware that this power bank does get heated often.

EC Technology 22400mAh Power Bank

EC Technology power bank is very powerful charger that comes at quite affordable price. Its full capacity is 22400 mAh, it is a bit large (6.3×2.9×0.8 inches) and it weighs a whole pound. It has one 5V/2A micro USB input port and 3 USB-A output ports.

Pros

The power bank has compact design and it comes in 3 different color combinations (black-red, black-white, black-blue). The case is plastic, but it feels solidly built, just like all of the ports. It has different kinds of protection against overheating, overcharging, etc., and it features smart charging technology. The power button is on the side of the bank and it works nicely. When you press it once, you can see how much power has left (4 LED indicators will show you that) and if you press and hold it, you will activate and change modes of the flashlight located above the middle port.

The power bank has 2A input port and if you have your own 2A wall charger, you will be able to recharge the battery in about 8-9 hours (charging cable is included in the package). The output ports are labeled as iPhone 1A, Samsung 2A, and iPad 2.4A ports. They use AUTO-IC technology that recognizes the type of the device and delivers the most efficient current according to that. It can charge iPad Mini more than twice, while iPhone 6s can be recharged 5-6 times and S7 almost 5 times.

Cons

When charging different devices, this power bank can heat a lot and lose a lot of energy. That’s why you will have only about 18000 mAh at your disposal. Also, when you are charging one or two devices at the same time, you can experience faster charging, but if you’re charging 3 devices simultaneously, the maximum output drops to 1A per port as the maximum output amperage is 3.1A.

Poweradd Slim 2 5000mAh Ultra-compact Power Bank

Poweradd Slim2 is a nice backup external battery with amazingly low price. It comes with 5000 mAh capacity, one 2A micro USB input, and one 2.1A USB-A output port. It is very small (3.9×1.2×1.3 inches) and very light (4.1 ounces).

Pros

Slim2 is nicely designed compact power bank available in many attractive colors (black, green, blue, red and pink). It is entirely made from plastic, but it is quite durable and has all kinds of protection that keep the charger and your device safe from damaging.

On the front side, you will see small power button. If you press it, 4 LED status indicators will show you how much juice is left there. Next to the indicators, there are input and output ports. They are 2A ports, which means you will be able to charge your device and the power bank itself faster in case you have all the necessary equipment. The power bank can be recharged in less than 3 hours if you have 2A wall socket. The output port recognizes the type of the device you want to charge and sends to it maximum supported current for faster charging.

Cons

From the advertised 5000 mAh, you will get approximately 3700 mAh. You will still be able to charge most of the smartphones once and partially some tablets, but it would be better if there was more juice at your disposal.

Although this power bank seems well built, many customers had durability-related issues. The bank would simply just stop working. However, Poweradd has great customer service and 24-month warranty that will enable you to get the replacement for the broken or faulty product.

In addition, we have to warn you that Lightning charging cable is not included in the package and has to be bought separately.

KMASHI 10000mAh Portable Power Bank

KMASHI portable charger is compact and incredibly affordable product with full capacity of 10000 mAh, one 2A micro USB input and two USB-A (2.1A and 1A) output ports. Its dimensions are 5.4×2.5×0.8 inches and it weighs 9.7 ounces. At this price point, it is a real bargain.

Pros

Although far from perfect, KMASHI MP816 gives you all of advertised 10000 mAh. That way, you can use it to charge iPhone 6s more than 5 times and S7 almost 3 times. It has one 2A input port and if you have 2A wall charger, you will be able to recharge the power bank in approximately 6 hours. It also has two output ports with maximum output of 3.1A, which is also great at this price point.

MP816 comes with USB to micro USB charging cable and user manual. It has nice design and it comes in black/red color combination with nice matte finish. On the side, you will find power button that is used to check battery status or turn on/off the power bank. The good thing is that the charger is able to automatically stop charging and shut down after your device is fully charged.

Cons

This power bank might seem as perfect and cheap choice, but we have to warn you about potential issues you might encounter.

Low price usually means budget cutouts and we think the manufacturer has made them in the build quality and safety department. In spite of advertised types of protection, the power bank can overheat and many customers have experienced that. It just melts and stops working for no apparent reason.

We would also prefer additional USB or one Lightning charging cable included in the package.

Aibocn Power Bank 10000mAh

Airbocn is extremely cheap and, for the price, very powerful external battery with maximum capacity of 10000 mAh, maximum 1A input and maximum 2.5A output (one 2.1A and the other 1A output port). Its dimensions are 0.8×5.4×2.4 inches and it weighs approximately 8.6 ounces.

Pros

This power bank has very nice and attractive design. It is available in white/black, white/grey and white/orange color combinations. The power button and 4 LED battery status indicators are on the front side while the output ports are on the side and the input port and nice flashlight are at the end of the battery.

The good thing is that the power bank offers two output ports so that you can charge two devices at the same time and one of them can be charged faster as one of the output ports is 2.1A port and it can be used to charge tablets and iPads.

The flashlight can be very useful, especially if you’re taking your power bank with you on a trip or camping. In order to turn it on, you have to double tap the power button.

Cons

One of the downsides of this power bank is the actual amperage you get and it is only about 7000 mAh. However, it is not alarming considering the price.

1A input port and 11-12 hours charging time really disappointed us – the most of modern power banks use 2A input ports.

Also, output ports don’t share amperage, so there is no way that you can charge two devices at the same time at the same speed. One of them will be charged way faster than the other.

This charger has problems with its size and weight, too. We know it is cheap, but it should be way smaller and lighter considering the amperage. It is made from plastic and in spite of all the kinds of protection against overheating, overcharging and short circuit, there were some cases of burning and melting.

Pros

Taurus X4 is surprisingly small for its capacity and the weight is not too big. If you throw it in your bag, you will definitely feel no extra weight. It has nice design and it is available in black and white versions. On the front side, you have a big digital display that shows you the remaining battery juice and it is definitely more accurate than LED indicators. Power button is mostly used for turning on the flashlight located between output ports at the end of the charger. Digital battery status display activates automatically every time you connect a device to the bank so you won’t need power button for that.

The overall construction is fine. It is made from plastic, but it seems durable and has overheating, overcharging and other typical kinds of protection.

It has a lot of juice and it can charge many smartphones more than 5 times and iPad Mini more than twice.

Cons

On the downside, they don’t give you 12-month warranty for no reason. It may last longer, but many customers said that their chargers stopped working after a year or so. Some of them stopped working earlier, but if they stop working for no obvious reason, you will be able to get the replacement.

Also, some part of the energy is lost during charging other devices, so you can expect 18000 mAh if you’re charging only one device or about 16000 mAh if charging two devices. It is not bad, but it can be improved definitely.

In addition, both of the output ports can be 2.1A ports but only if used separately. If used at the same time, you get the max output of 3.1A.

Last of all, Lightning charging cable and 2A wall charger have to be bought separately.

The Advantages and Downsides of Power Banks

+ Power banks are portable

External batteries are available in different sizes and, as we have already said, their size depends mostly on their capacity. However, despite the size, they are always portable, at least more portable than wall sockets. If they can’t fit your pocket, there will always be enough space for them in your bag or suitcase and your power supply will always be with you.

+ Most of the power banks are universal

There are some power banks that are made mostly for Apple products, but most of them have USB output ports (mostly micro and mini) besides optional USB-C or Lightning ports. That means you can charge different types of devices; different phones as well as tablets, players, even laptops if the banks are powerful enough.

+ Most of the power banks can charge several devices at once

Recently released models combine acceptable prices with high capacity and many output ports. That way you get the chance to charge several devices at the same time. Don’t expect them to be equally functional and fast, extra charging ports can be very useful.

+ Power banks have reasonable prices

Once very expensive, power banks have become highly affordable. Truth to be told, more powerful banks cost more, but as you were able to conclude from our list of 15 best power banks, you can easily get many external batteries with great capacity for less than $50. Less powerful ones can be bought for less than $20 or even $10.

– Power banks can be bulky

One of the problems we encounter when buying powerful power bank is its size and weight. No matter how big it is, it will still be portable, but if you don’t need a power bank with 20000 mAh, buy something smaller that can easily fit your pocket and you will never run out of battery.

– You won’t have full (advertised) battery capacity at your disposal

This is way bigger problem than size and weight, but it is something that you can’t avoid and you should know about it. No power bank can offer you its full capacity. If it has 3350 mAh, you can count on maximum 80% of the amperage. If your phone’s battery has 1500 mAh, your power bank won’t be able to recharge it twice.

– Overcharging can destroy your phone’s battery

Power banks are small storages for electrical energy. You may not be aware of that, but it is still electricity and it can be dangerous. Especially if your phone is connected to the power bank too long after the battery is fully recharged. That way you overcharge and overheat phone’s battery, which leads to its burning or, in the best possible case, to its weakening. Battery life will be shorter and you will have to charge your phone more often.

How to Get the Perfect Power Bank?

Step 1 – Define your price range

Doing this is one of the most important tasks that have to be completed before starting your search. It is so important because you lose a lot of time if you analyze products that you can’t afford or you would simply never give that kind of money for a power bank. There are some seriously expensive products out there, but as you can see from our list of 15 best power banks, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great external battery.

Step 2 – Define the purpose

The next step is also very important because these products may seem cheap to you but with the price usually comes bigger amperage and with it also comes extra weight and bigger dimensions. So, if you need something for long trips, camping with your family, etc., you should definitely get power bank with 20000 or more mAh. However, if you need a backup battery that can always be in your pocket (just in case of emergency) you really shouldn’t spend time on analyzing expensive products with a lot of unnecessary power.

Step 3 – Pay attention to the features

The third step is extremely important and it is tightly related to the previous step. Defining the purpose doesn’t only mean to define the necessary amperage. It also means that you have to decide what kind of USB ports you need and what kind of charging cables and wall chargers you have to buy separately. There is no point in buying power bank with 2.4A output port if you have a phone with 1A input port. There are also some problems with cables and wall chargers. Sadly, extra charging cables (especially for Apple devices) and wall chargers are not included in the price, so you will have to buy that separately. In addition, if you don’t need a flashlight, don’t waste extra dollars on power banks that have it as you can find perfectly good products with no flashlight.

So, that would be our article about power banks. We have tried to introduce you to the world of external batteries and help you find the right one for you. We have also presented to you 15 models that are currently the best on the market in 2018, at least in our opinion and based on our research. We hope that you have found our article helpful and that you will be able to find some interesting products on our list of 15 best power banks in 2018.